I just met my new neighbor in my office. He's just moving in. His name is Dwight and he's an author and an internet marketing guy. My first thought was "interesting, seems like a nice guy, but doesn't really apply to what I've been working on here at the foundation." Clearly I need to check my prejudices at the door. In further conversation, I learn that he not only is an author, but he publishes his work online, has quite a following and provides games and puzzles for his readers to solve. On top of that, he leads tours to the interesting places that he writes about.
He's building community and he's doing it through art and technology!
We talked a bit about the foundation and some of the conversations I've had with other members of the community. We discussed Redmond's interest in healthy living, environmental sustainability, art and technology. It suddenly became clear to me how every business in some way is connected to not only the economic sustainability of our city, but also in the building of community and engagement. We all want to connect and each person has their preferred method. Some will gravitate toward ball fields, others toward the new Redmond Bike Park (currently in the planning stage). Some will connect online through Facebook, Twitter and gaming communities, while still others enjoy the age old "meet at the mall" method. All of these different ways of connecting weave the fabric of our city. How do you like to connect? What ways can Redmond help you in your preferred way of building community?
